1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for recording the use time of a computer system, and more particularly, to a method for recording the total use time of a computer system after shipping.
2. Description of Related Art
A computer system mainly comprises a main board, a central processing unit (CPU) and a storage device. When we turn on a computer system, the central processing unit inside the computer will automatically execute a series of commands. According to their functions, these commands can be crudely classified into three major categories, namely, system assembly analysis, startup self-diagnostic tests and loading of an operating system. In a routine startup, information such as the model of the central processing unit, the size of the memory and the type of storage device are analyzed to serve as an important reference for taking other actions. Thereafter, the central processing unit retrieves program codes from the basic input/output system (BIOS) chip on the main board to perform a self-diagnostic test and initializes various hardware devices so that the system can operate normally. Finally, an operating system is downloaded and then the control of the computer system is transferred to the operating system at the end of the start-up operation.
After a computer has been shipped out from a manufacturer for some time, the computer system may not start up due to some hardware or software problems. In general, a system supplier will provide a warranty period after the sale of a computer system to guarantee the quality of their products. However, within this period, some users may complain that they could not start the system and use this reason to ask the system supplier for a return of the entire system. When this happens, the system supplier has no way of knowing if the system is really damaged before it is actually used. This can lead to dispute with the consumers, which can damage the image of the system supplier and increase the selling cost of the system supplier.